North Shore Lake Hodges

After the quick stroll along the Questhaven Nature Trail, I headed to my second hike of the afternoon, along the North Shore of Lake Hodges. According to the WBC 50 for 50 Challenge, this hike was to start near Hernandez Hideaway and head north along the shoreline. I had used this trailhead before for one of the Coast to Crest Challenge Hikes down to the Rattlesnake View Point.

Since it was a workday afternoon, the parking lot was almost completely empty, but I knew from past experiences this area is a popular mountain biking area, so I was thankful not to be as worried about sharing the trail. There wasn’t a specific spot where I needed to take my photo, so I just wandered a bit until I found a nice view of the lake and took one. I then retraced my route back to the car and called it a day.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I co-authored Urban Trails: San Diego, available now!

In 2019, I became the third person to complete the San Diego 100 Peak Challenge. Not stopping with that accomplishment, I set my sights on the harder San Diego Sierra Club 100 Peak list, which I completed in 2021. I’ve also conquered several Six-Pack of Peaks challenges (SoCal, San Diego, Central Coast, and both the Arizona-Winter and Arizona-Summer).

I look forward to exploring new summits and adventures across the Southwest.

Hiking in Gonzales Canyon

I decided to do this hike after work since it is just about 15 minutes from my house. My daughter decided to join me for this jaunt. We parked at Torrey Highlands Park and headed to the north end of it. From there, we picked up the Nature trail and began our descent into the canyon. The route we chose became a touch rocky; since my daughter did not have trekking poles, she had to be careful.

We chatted about our upcoming road trip to see my sister and the new school year as we made our way to the selfie spot. I pointed out the poison oak that lined the trail. We took our photo and began to retrace our path. Instead of climbing back up to the trailhead, we opted for a different route. She was not pleased with the steep hill we had to climb, but she made it. With that, my 2021-2022 Coast to Crest Challenge was complete!

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I co-authored Urban Trails: San Diego, available now!

I look forward to exploring new summits and adventures across the Southwest.

Pinnacle Mountain

While visiting my sister in Little Rock, my nephew-in-law, my son and I headed out to Pinnacle Mountain State Park to hike up the West Summit Trail. We started from the park picnic grounds and followed the rocky trail to the top of Pinnacle Mountain. From the top is a spectacular view of Lake Maumelle, the Arkansas River Valley, the Ouachita Mountains, and west Little Rock.

I am an avid peak bagger, sometimes backpacker, and former sea kayaker living in San Diego. I co-authored Urban Trails: San Diego, available now!

I look forward to exploring new summits and adventures across the Southwest.